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What storylines remain after Early Signing Period?

The early signing window has officially closed and the end of the period brought most of the action in the 2023 class to an end as the vast majority of Rivals150 prospects are committed and signed.

There are still a few major recruiting storylines worth monitoring, however, and Rivals recruiting director Rob Cassidy explores them below.

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MORE EARLY SIGNING PERIOD: Superlatives for 2023 class | Winners and losers

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN: Breaking down the ACC | Big 12 | SEC | Big Ten | Big East | Pac-12

2023 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team

2025 Rankings: Top 40

Transfer Portal: Latest news

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BRONNY MANIA  

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Bronny James
Bronny James (Rivals.com)

The most talked about and analyzed storyline of the 2023 class is alive and well post-Early Signing Period, as Bronny James remains on the board. The question of “Where will Bronny land?” obviously carries massive mainstream appeal based on his standing as not just a talented prospect but also the son of one of the best basketball players to ever walk the earth.

James’ recruitment has been muffled to say the least, with little information escaping his inner circle. What is known is that Ohio State, USC and Oregon are thought to be heavily in the mix. Also known is the fact that James and his father took a visit to Columbus in early September.

Expect James to take additional visits this winter before announcing a commitment sometime in the spring. Also expect his every move to be over-analyzed and written about ad nauseam. Buckle up, Bronny rumor season has arrived.

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COACHING CHANGES WILL CAUSE COMMOTION  

Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing
Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing (AP Images)

Every year a spattering of recruits, sometimes major ones, return to the ranks of the uncommitted when coaching changes begin to look inevitable. This season, it’s probably worth monitoring the 2023 classes at schools such as Clemson, Georgetown, Pitt and NC State, each of which has a coach that seems to be coaching for his job.

The top-ranked recruit committed to the group is Georgetown pledge Marvel Allen but, collectively, the four schools listed above have five Rivals150 prospects in the fold. Many are signed to “binding letters of intent,” but recent history tells us schools won’t fight too hard to keep a player locked up when a coaching change transpires.

Then, there are the unexpected coaching overhauls. People retire or take new jobs every cycle, but such things are nearly impossible to predict at this juncture. What is easy to predict is that there will be a wave of late activity concerning prospects that appear to be off the board as things stand.

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WILL ISIAH MIRANDA PLAY COLLEGE BASKETBALL?  

Isiah Miranda
Isiah Miranda (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)

Isiah Miranda, a postgraduate 7-footer out of Southern California Academy, meets the eligibility requirements for next year’s NBA Draft, and he is expected to at least test the waters on that front. That said, he’ll likely commit to a college program and play there should he not get the feedback he wants after working out for NBA scouts. Which school that will be, however, remains a bit in flux.

USC once looked like a safe bet for Miranda, but it’s unclear where the Trojans currently stand. The four-star big has also visited Louisville and Georgetown, both of which are worth monitoring. Miranda may well take a few more visits before making any sort of decision as he doesn’t seem to be in much of a rush to explore his college options.

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WILL SYRACUSE BOTHER WITH HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECTS THIS CYCLE?  

Not having a single high school prospect in the fold at this point in a recruiting cycle isn’t as big of a deal as it would have been before the transfer portal era, but it is notable when a traditional power such as Syracuse breezes through the early period without a name on its commitment list. The fact that there aren’t many high-level prospects left on the board makes things more interesting going forward, as it seems increasingly likely that legendary head coach Jim Boeheim will need to be extremely active in the transfer portal at season’s end.

That said, the Orange are still surveying the high school scene and remain involved with 7-foot-2 William Patterson to some extent. The Orange’s current roster is a young group, so this was always going to be a smaller class, but if the program experiences much unexpected attrition Boeheim and company will need to be extremely active in the transfer market.

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